Recording mp3 files

[Tomisimo]

Being able to record an mp3 file is useful to the language learner. One neat thing you can do here at Tomisimo is upload mp3 files, attach them to posts, and others can listen right from your post. You can do this to illustrate correct pronunciation for others, or you can record yourself speaking your target language and ask others to critique your pronunciation.

How to record an mp3

Note: There are many ways to record audio, this is just one example, and is a Windows-specific example as well.

1. Download and install Audacity, an open-source (free) audio recorder. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
2. Download the LAME mp3 encoder (also open-source), and extract the lame_enc.dll file (you can save it anywhere you like.) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help...&item=lame-mp3
3. Run Audacity and adjust a couple of settings:
   1. Go to Edit => Preferences
   2. Click on File Formats on the left
   3. Near the bottom where it says "Mp3 Export Setup",
      1. Set the bitrate to 32 (smaller file size, sufficient quality for spoken language)
      2. Click on "Find Library" and browse to the lame_enc.dll file you downloaded.
   4. Click on Audio I/O on the left
      1. Near the top right, select Channels: 1 (mono). (smaller file size, sufficient quality for spoken language)
4. To record, just press R or hit the record button
5. To play what you've recorded, just press the spacebar or click the play button
6. To delete what you've recorded, click the small X in the top left corner of the track you recorded.
7. To save it as an mp3, go to File => Export as... => Mp3...

Audacity can look pretty intimidating because there are a lot of options, but it's not as bad as it looks.

After you have your mp3 files, just attach them to any post here and other members can listen to them right in the post.

[chileno]

Excellent aid!

[CrOtALiTo]

Excellent your contribution, time before, I wanted to do the same, but I wasn't able to attach any mp3 file in the post, I know about another softwares to have the same recorder application, but really I believe that this software that you've shared with us is very useful even awhile you don't know anything about computation.

Thank you again.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I install it and it doesn´t work.

[EmpanadaRica]

I use Audacity too, it's really quite userfriendly I think.

@ Crotalito: Once you have your mp3 you can attach it to the post via ' Manage Attachments' at the bottem of the page of your post.

If you haven't exceeded the maximum size it accepts (depending on the sort of file you want to upload) you should be able to upload up to 5 files per message.

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

I installed it and it doesn´t work.

Hmm strange.. It won' t even start up, or do you get it started but it won't record? What exactly isn' t working?

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I record and it doesn´t work. I have a New computer, windows vista. it works in the old one, but I don´t use it any more because I have to format it, it full of Viruses.

[EmpanadaRica]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

I record and it doesn´t work. I have a New computer, windows vista. it works in the old one, but I don´t use it any more because I have to format it, it full of Viruses.

Hmmm I have a computer that' s only a few months old, also with Vista and it works fine on mine? According to the site versions 1.2.6 and 1.3.8 (beta, though!) are vista compatible. Have you tried to download one of these versions or have you perhaps used the old version on your other computer and reinstalled it on your new one?

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/?lang=en


By the way, so it is recording but not working? Is your sound working properly? I.e. have you got your microphone well attached and switched on in your sound settings e.g.? If you have skype for example, you could do a test (Skype testcall -- it records your spoken text) to see if your sound is working/ recording properly - there might be a problem there?

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Originally Posted by EmpanadaRica

Hmmm I have a computer that' s only a few months old, also with Vista and it works fine on mine? According to the site versions 1.2.6 and 1.3.8 (beta, though!) are vista compatible. Have you tried to download one of these versions or have you perhaps used the old version on your other computer and reinstalled it on your new one?

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/?lang=en


By the way, so it is recording but not working? Is your sound working properly? I.e. have you got your microphone well attached and switched on in your sound settings e.g.? If you have skype for example, you could do a test (Skype testcall -- it records your spoken text) to see if your sound is working/ recording properly - there might be a problem there?

The sound works fine, it seems it is recording but the frequency line never changes, and though it seems it records it doen´t. Ther must be a problem that I have to solve soon.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I have the 1.2.6 version

[ROBINDESBOIS]

how do I go to the sound settings ?